Rotary engine.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

G H TUTTLE & s A KENT V ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED APR 16 1907 2 SHEBTSSHLEET 1.

I! A I W/ TNE SSE S ML M I a%%@ WASHINGTON, D. c.

No. 887,711. PATENTED MAY 12, 1908. G. H. TUTTLE & E. A. KENT. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16,1907.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTOBNE Y8 20 4 I 2 2i %9-5. i

W/TNESSES a, Z

a y u ze 24 2; Edwarilfllnf ml: mums PETERS co., vi'Asi-uunran, 2:. c

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

GUTIE H. TUTTLE AND EDWARD A. KENT, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GUTIE H. TUTTLE and EDWARD A. KENT, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to rotary engines, and the object of the invention is to produce a prime mover of this class which is simple in construction, economical in steam consumption, and efficient in operation.

More specifically, the invention concerns itself with an abutment which projects into the piston chamber and which is automatically controlled to allow the piston head to pass.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an engine constructed according to our invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the engine and viewed from the same side as in Fig. 1; this view is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; that is, passing longitudinally of the axis of rotation; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the abutment which was referred to above as projecting into the piston chamber; this view is a section on theline 44 of Fig. 5; Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the abutment referred to, and Fig. 6 is a plan showing a portion of the engine case and the mechanism for driving the valve or abutment.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents the case of the engine, which is formed in two halves or sections 2 and 8. The bodies of these halves are of substantially circular form, so that they constitute disks which are set face to face, as indicated in Fig. 3. These disks are provided on their adjacent faces with semi-circular channels 4 and 5 which match together so as to form a continuous circumferential chamber 6 of circular cross section. At their lower portions, the sections 2 and 3 unite to form a base 7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 16, 1907.

Patented May 12, 1908.

Serial No. 368,550.

which is adapted to rest upon the floor. Between the piston chamber 6 and the centers of the disks 2 and 3, the disk faces are disposed slightly apart so. as to form a space in which there is received a piston disk 8; the outer edge 9 of this disk is concave, as shown, so that it matches with the wall of the piston chamber 6 and constitutes a continuation thereof.

At some point on the edge of the piston disk 8, a piston head 10 is provided, which projects into the piston chamber 6 and completely obstructs the same. This disk 8 is rigidly attached to or formed on a horizontal shaft 11, the said shaft being rotatably mounted in a suitable pedestal bearing 12 mounted on the base 7, as shown. The shaft 11 projects from the case 1 on the side opposite to the fly-wheel 13 which it carries, and at this oint is provided with a cam 14, the form of which is very clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now especially to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the upper portions of the parts 2 and 3 unite to form a tangentially disposed neck 15 which is provided with a bore 16, the axis of which bore is substantially tangent to the circumferential axis of the chamber 6. In this bore 16 there is rotatably mounted an abutment 17. The end of the abutment which lies near the chamber 6 is formed with a projecting tongue 18 and this tongue is concaved or formed with a groove 19 on one face thereof, as shown very clearly in Figs. 4 and 5. The abutment is attached rigidly to a rotatable stem 20 which passes through a suitable stufling-box 21 in the end of the neck 15, and this stem is provided with a pinion 22 which meshes with a gear wheel 23 mounted on a bracket 25; rigid with the gear wheel 23 there is provided a bevel pinion 24 which meshes with a bevel gear 24'*, the said bevel also mounted in the bracket 25 as indicated.

This stub shaft 26 is provided with a rigidly attached arm 26 which extends inwardly toward the axis of the engine, as indicated in Fig. 1. At its inner end, this arm 26 is formed with a downward extension 27 provided at its lower end with a roller 28, and this roller rests against the face of the aforesaid cam 14. The bracket 25 is formed with two separated arms 25 which are connected by a bar or web 25 and in this bar 25 the shaft of the gear wheel 23 is mounted, as indicated in Fig. 1. I

Referring again to the abutment 17, it

should be understood that when this piece occupies the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2, it constitutes a complete closure for the portion of the piston chamber 6 intoper side of the bore 16, and at a point which will be uncovered by the tongue 18 when the abutment 17 is in the position shown in Fig. 2; that is, it will be seen that when the abutment is in this position, steam can flow inwardly through the admission pipe 29 into the bore 16 and the interior of the chamber 6.

In the wall of the case below the abutment 17, an exhaust port 31 is provided, from which an exhaust pipe 32 extends. In the steam pipe 29 a throttle valve 33 is provided, having a stem 34-projecting downwardly, the arrangement being such that the valve comes upon its seat by an upward movement of the stem; in other words, when the stem is in its lowest possible position, the valve is open,

and when the stem 34 is forced upwardly to its uppermost possible position, the valve is closed. This stem 34 is connected pivotally at 35 with a sliding link 36 which is adapted to slide vertically in a lug 37 projecting from the side of the neck 15, as shown in Fig. 1. The lower end of this sliding link 36 is formed with a roller 38 which rests against an enlargement or collar 39 formed on the arm 26. Near the downward extension 27 .of the arm 26 an enlargement or collar 40 is provided, at the lower side of whicha spring plate 41 is attached. Just below this spring plate on the side of the case 1, there is attached a bracket 42 which supports ahelical spring 43, and the upper end of this spring 43 is attached to the under side of the spring plate 41. With this arrangement, evidently the spring 43 tends to hold the roller 28 in contact with the cam 14, and will immediately operate to return the arm 26 downwardly when displaced upwardly by the cam in rotating. The downward extension 27 of the arm 26 passes through a guide bracket 44 which is attached to the side of the case as shown in Fig. 1. The body 45 of the cam 14 is of substantially circular form, but at a certain point it is provided with an outwardly projecting enlarged tooth or toe 46 which is adapted to raise the arm 26 suddenly as the shaft 11 rotates.

Referring again to Fig. 3, in order to prevent any leakage of steam from the piston chamber 6 toward the shaft, the side faces of the piston disk 8 are provided with V-shaped annular ribs 47, and these ribs are received in correspondingly V-shaped grooves 48. In this way a packing ring is formed which cuts off the piston chamber from the shaft and its bearings.

The mode of operation of the engine will now be described: When the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the valve 33 is open and steam is flowing through the port 30 and the bore 16 into the piston chamber 6. The pressure of this steam forces the piston head 10 toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 2. When the piston arrives at the exhaust port 31, exhaust begins, and just as the piston arrives at the under side of the abutment 17, the toe 46 of the cam 14 raises the arm 26, so that a rotation of the gear wheel 23 takes place. This rotation produces a corresponding rotation of the abutment 17 which is suflicient to throw it over to a diametrically opposite position, so that the tongue 18 of the abutment, instead of constituting a closure or obstruction in the piston chamber 6, constitutes a part of the wall of this chamber. As soon as the abutment has reversed itself in this manner, the piston head passes the location of the abutment, and as soon as it has cleared the abutment, the toe 46 will pass from under the roller 28 and the spring 43 will pull the arm 26 downwardly. This downward rotation produces a return rotation of the abutment ,17, so that the parts immediately return to their normal position. As the arm 26 is moved upwardly in the manner described, the sliding link 36 operates to close the valve 33, so that when the abutment 17 is in its reversed position, there is no pressure of steam upon its tongue 18, which might tend to prevent the free rotation of the abutment.

It will be apparent that although the above-described mechanism constitutes a steam engine, it would be perfectly possible to drive the piston ring 8 by a power if it were desired to use the machine as a pump. When the machine is driven in this manner, the water would be admitted through the pipe 29 and this water would be raised from a lower elevation by the partial vacuum which is produced in the piston chamber in the rear of the piston head. The water which is drawn into the piston chamber would, of course, be forced out by the next rotation of the piston head, through the pipe 32.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a rotary engine, in combination, a case having a continuous annular piston chamber, a piston head rotatably mounted and traveling in said chamber, said case having a bore communicating with said chamber,

the axis of said bore lying in the plane of 2. In a rotary engine of the class described,

in combination, a case having a continuous annular piston chamber formed therein, a rotatably mounted piston disk having a piston head traveling in said chamber, said case having a bore communicating with said chamber, a rotatable abutment having a tongue normally projecting into said chamber and constituting an obstruction therefor,

said tongue having a groove formed in the side thereof adapted to constitute a continuation of the wall of the piston chamber when said abutment is in a reversed position, and automatic means for moving said abutment to a reversed position.

3. In a rotary engine of the class described, in combination, a case having a continuous annular piston chamber formed therein, a rotatably mounted piston disk-having a piston head traveling in said chamber, said case having a bore communicating with said chamber, a rotatable abutment having a tongue normally projecting into said chamber and constituting an obstruction therefor, said tongue having a groove formed in the side thereof adapted to constitute a continuation of the wall of the piston chamber when said abutment is in a reversed position, automatic means for moving said abutment to a reversed position, a valve, and automatic means for controlling said valve to admit steam to said chamber when said abutment is in its normal position.

4. In an engine of the class described, in combination, a case having a continuous annular piston chamber, a piston disk rotatably mounted and having a piston head moving continuously in said chamber, a bore formed tangentially to said piston chamber in said case, an abutment rotatably mounted in said bore and having a tongue normally projecting into said chamber and constituting a closure therefor, said bore having a steam port in the wall thereof adapted to be closed by said abutment when in a reversed position, said tongue havinga concave face adapted to complete the wall of said piston chamber when said abutment is in a re versed position, and automatic means for reversing said abutment as said piston head is passing the position thereof.

5. In an engine of the class described, in combination, a case having a continuous annular piston chamber, a piston disk rotatably mounted and having a piston head moving continuously in said chamber, a bore formed tangentially to said piston chamber in said case, an abutment rotatably mounted in said bore and having a tongue normally projecting into said chamber and constituting a closure therefor, said bore having a steam port in the wall thereof adapted to be closed by said abutment when in a reversed position, said tongue having a concave face adapted to complete the wall of said piston chamber when said abutment is in a reversed position, automatic means.

for reversing said abutment as said piston head 1s passmg the position thereof, a valve admitting steam through said port, and

automatic means for closing said valve when said abutment is in its reversed position.

6. In a rotary engine, in combination, a case having a continuous annular piston chamber, a piston head mounted to rotate and traveling in said chamber, said case having a bore tangentially disposed with respect to said chamber and communicating therewith, a rotary abutment mounted in said bore and having a tongue normally projecting into said chamber and constituting a closure in said chamber, a shaft carrying said piston head and rotating therewith, a cam on said shaft, an arm operated by said cam, and mechanism connecting said arm with said abutment for rotating the same, said abutment having a reversed position in which said tongue completes the wall of said piston chamber.

7. In a rotary engine, in combination, a case having a continuous annular piston chamber, a piston head mounted to rotate and traveling in said chamber, said case having a bore tangentially disposed with respect to said chamber and communicating therewith, a rotary abutment mounted in said bore and having a tongue normally projecting into said chamber and constituting a closure in said chamber, a shaft carrying said piston head and rotating therewith, a cam on said shaft, an arm operated by said cam, mechanism connecting said arm with said abutment for rotating the same, said abutment having a reversed position in which said tongue completes the wall of said piston chamber, a valve admitting steam to said chamber, and means for opening or closing said valve by the movement of said arm.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUTIE H. TUTTLE. EDWARD A. KENT. Witnesses:

W. H. UNDERwooD, E. V. CARTER. 

